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how to migrate the music app to my new mac

My old MacBook Air (mid 2012) crashed while doing an automatic update in Catalina. Although I FINALLY got most of my data back I couldn't get my Music. I then bought a new MacBook Air 2019 and migrated everything (including an empty Music app).


I have now managed to get the Music back on my old Mac but cannot see a way of moving it to my new Mac. Apple Support suggested migration assistant but that appears to want to migrate everything again and don't want to do that!


Does anyone know how to get it over? I have just ordered a Thunderbolt to USB adapter as assume that will be the best way????

Posted on Jan 31, 2020 10:12 AM

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Posted on Jan 31, 2020 11:24 AM

When you capitalize the word Music, then we understand that to mean the application. On the other hand, if you mean your Music folder, then add the word "folder" so we will understand the reference. The easiest solution is to copy the /Home/Music/ folder on the old computer to an external USB drive large enough to hold the entire folder. Then move the drive from the old computer to the new one. Locate the /Home/Music/ folder on the new computer. Select and copy the content of the folder on the external drive to the /Home/Music/ folder on the new computer. Note that you cannot replace the Music folder on the new computer with the Music folder on the external drive because macOS will not let you. But there is no issue with transferring the content of the old Music folder into the new Music folder.


To avoid permissions problems, it would be a good idea to have an account with the same user_name on the new computer as used on the old one. If they are not the same, then you will have to change the user_name on the new computer to match the one on the old computer: see Change the name of your macOS user account and home folder - Apple Support.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 31, 2020 11:24 AM in response to lindsayd58

When you capitalize the word Music, then we understand that to mean the application. On the other hand, if you mean your Music folder, then add the word "folder" so we will understand the reference. The easiest solution is to copy the /Home/Music/ folder on the old computer to an external USB drive large enough to hold the entire folder. Then move the drive from the old computer to the new one. Locate the /Home/Music/ folder on the new computer. Select and copy the content of the folder on the external drive to the /Home/Music/ folder on the new computer. Note that you cannot replace the Music folder on the new computer with the Music folder on the external drive because macOS will not let you. But there is no issue with transferring the content of the old Music folder into the new Music folder.


To avoid permissions problems, it would be a good idea to have an account with the same user_name on the new computer as used on the old one. If they are not the same, then you will have to change the user_name on the new computer to match the one on the old computer: see Change the name of your macOS user account and home folder - Apple Support.

Jan 31, 2020 10:43 AM in response to Kappy

Sorry, I'm talking about all the Music I have put onto iTunes in the past, which is now sitting in the Music App on my old Mac. I sing in a choir and have hundreds of downloads which I really need to keep! I have Catalina on both MacBooks and Apple Support got as far as helping me download the music from my backup onto my old Mac. But they then told me to use Migration Assistant to move to my new one but that appears to want to move everything!

how to migrate the music app to my new mac

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